Braiding-machine.



No. 851.204. PATENTED APR. 23, 1907. B. F. PARKS dz S, W. WARDWBLL.

BRAIDING MACHINE.

APPLIGATIOR FILED M1514. 1905.

6 SHBETE-SHBET B.

YYBY

No. 851,204. PATENTBD APR. 23, 190?. E.-F. PARKS & S. W. WARDWELL.

BRAIDING MACHINE.

APPLIGATIOR NLRB we. 14, 1905.

5% mg W. M M 5 m N i WITNESLSES ATENTED APR. 23. 190?.

E. P. PARKS & S w. R BRAIDING MA APPLIQ I: Z w I F'igZ A Wm 555, 31W

N0. 351,204. PATENTBD APR. 23, 1907. E; E. PARKS & S. W. WARDWELL.

BRAIDINGVMEGHINB.

APPLIUA'EIOETILBB ARK mi 1905.

{AIM

WITNESSES 5 341.0!

No. 851.204, PATBNTED APR. 23, 1907. E. F. PARK$ & S. W. WARDWELL. BBAIDING MAC-HIKE.

APPLICATION TILED AUG. 14- 1905.

B SHEETS- 831!!! 6.

O Mal/TN 6-556 M M V a W i ATTORNEYS vls UNITE-D, STAEES PATEi OFFICE.

TEDWARD F. PARKS AND smm w. mnnwm; QR PROVIDENCE 1 ginopE aiaA qluaemnc -ims;

In all when it may cancei'n:

7 Be it kno'wnithat' we; EDwA'nn F. YARKS and Sntox KY, Imnwsm, citizens of the United States, residing inlroviilenee, in the count-v. of Providence and'Stae of Rhode Island, ,mve invented-new and useful ImproYenients in Braidilw-Machines; of which the following is a specification. 7' 1 Our invention is. an improvement in 7 lb bmidin nmchiues themeritpfiwhich lies'in its hi 'h Productive capacity, anglthq novelty:-

u f whit consistsjnthnt -peculiarityL mcl simplicitypi form and arrangement which pemiitsthe high rate efprqductionfi This new-. nmchine belongs .tothiit el a'ss braiding machines in whieh. the-biaidingop eratiou 1s performe cibv an intex laeing fiction of tlie m ing-ynrns themselves, rqthe then" by such; .am action of the supplies frq'm whieh r 5E; l To; secur'eltliehighest ,i'ate, .of ip requires the hi'gliest,possihle s peet chine, and In-att contain the fewest-3 w j, n tsm g fifll. il-1 Q 1, tent: and res t'rnintnqfiifihtiiq when:

ble SLl$0ePtibi1itf t0-SVM 'ntfihixe k The means for securing thesei esnltshnd xhemanner f their ait tamment' arel fully-1E9 o closed in thefollowingspecifiefltiozt gi-whieh the accompanying dnuvmgs-fqlfmmpart.

Figure} is a frontelevation ofttheuni-- chine; F' z' 2 is a section of the maih p'ortien of the ma'chiue taken through its axis 012' aplaneparnllel'with the sheet. in Fig. I: Fig! 3 is m flai vie'w of the braidingnmeimnism: .Fig. 1 pin-t section inn ho'rizontal plane through the line 9-9, Fig. 2: Figs. 5 and 6 are diagrammatic viewsillustrating im 101'- taut ehnrncteristies of our invention: i'ig's.

7, S and 9 shqw details of the guide inop; Fig. 10, a diagrammatic (letaii of the take-up 'rullsj Figs. 11-m n! 1'2, Variations. Fig. 13' a section on Enem 13, Fig 3; Fig. 14,21 tietaileil plan; .1 The-basic feature of our inventiun is, the. fprin nntl a-rrnngement of the cqrrier driver, and -mo de of actuhting the same; Thereso the carriers will he described,

The machine has 'twq nmiinrntntive,ehff ments, see Fig. 2, the earner frames A- gimlj Speeific ation at Letters Patent Lppliation filed gm 14. was. Serial miimaas.

ISLAND. .w

Patented Apt-i123, 1907.

B, on 1- by which are carried the yarn supphes, "and their (iOYlCGS for controlling the A; through the delivery a'n'cl dispusitinu of the yin-ins In form 5 tiitecoaxinllv about the post 2 and i ieppii-- itntes'a part of thetpo 1 cbnt en of oseillt tihii-t-i' giw wi thir. t'he ofthe gan-ier niid at snh puin't' thm the men; with the cam'iel in zt'direetiun :u; rig-i; angles tu' itstiii eetiun ufmutiim: er. what the same-thj i'gi-i'u' a lireetion 't-lmt,i.- rinlia with'respeet to the carrier's axis pf revnhu ii an.

center of useillatiuu is, therei' gre; at-t'hejunenun or two lines drawn throltgh'thept-ants vi" the driver 5 engagement with the warmers} points uf enmtgement.

rniigement ufdrivel is of utmost impel-taupe, lwcamse it insi'tres.engugeuwnr-nf the ih'iver j with theearriei; Withthc least; PUSUIIU extent v .of movement 41nd niso, drives ft'lre -e:irrier ed and nrriuiged as indientedis new,'nmi such form and arrangement are ve.--z-=entmi-t0.the-=1 ellieietiq" of such. a zlililt'llllll'.

that can ,bmengnged with, the .ennrier .zin.

extremitie'smf the driver move inm engaze- So and normal to its path of revelation. 'ihi a;

and tangent to the. path of i'evehuitu ul' sziiti Pius Turn and argo without .wedgiug it LngninL'st-the rail un which 5 s"- i In .thewiirstsh:

. ment is perpendicularor'normal to the path of" movement of the carrier. Again, it-jis essential to our high speed of operation that all backlash,.due either to wear or slight play in joints and connections necessary to the requisite fit of the parts, shall be the least possible. Where the drivers engage the car-' tiers in adirection perpendicular to the carriers direction of travel, such a minimum 18 secured, for the backlash is only-that attributable to any two pieces that engage or couple, by the entering of one into the other. This is indicated in exaggerated manner in Fig. 5, where y indicates such riormal play which is alsothe amount ofbacklash; the arrow n indicating the direction of motion. In Fig. 6, the driver 9 is shown entering the carrier at a decided angle a: with the line of I travel a, and it is here' seen that the extent of backlash '2 materially'exceeds y in Fig. 6.

The drivers are actuated by the cam 11 which is located in the head 5 of the carrier frameB.- a

As'shown Fi 3 and Fig. 4, a plurality of thedrivers are ked together by the connecting=bars 12, and from one driver ofthe set pro ects an arm 18 having a roll 14 or other form of traveler to en age the groove 15 of the cam. Thereb a the drivers of one set or plurality are driven together from the earn their travel in the direction of the arrow m;

The switch 16 is then thrown across the en- -.trance of the slit s so as to close it. As the roll 14 is drivenoutward from the axis of the machine by thehigh point 17 of the cam, the drivers are moved in a direction. the reverse of the arrow m and the switches 16 are withdrawnfrom the entrance to the slits 8, see 'Fig. 4.

As intimated above one set C of yarn supplies is carriedsee .ig. 1 and Fig. 2 by the carriers 8 with the carrier frame A. Another set'D is carried below the plane ofrotation of the se. T, as will-be later explained. The yarns b from this lower set D as upward by the supplies C, and revolve m an opposite direction to the latter, being carried with, and on the carrier frame B. These yarns o from the lower supplies have a ath either around the outside edges 18 o the carriers, or throu h the slit-s s, dgpendent on the action of t e cam 11 as it a ects the switches 16.

The head or plate 4 of the carrier fTarne A is made star-shaped, the number of po1nts depending on the number of supplies or car- '-axis of revolution.

riers employed, which, of course, is determined b the number of 'arns entering into the brai and by the num er of yarns carried by each individual supply. For instance, the braid might have sixteen strands from sixteen difi'erentsupplies; or it mi ht be braided with sixteen strands from eight supplies with two yarns on each sup 1y. In the recesses, between the' oints, t e carriers 8 are'pocketed, so thatt e yarn which travels past the carrier is only deflected approximately half .the width of the carrier in passing either to one side or the other. This is bestillustratedin Fig. 4, where the dot-dash line e e indicates the mean radial position of the travelingyarn, which, it will be observed, falls just within the points or nose ends of the carriers. This provides that the yarn would normally pass on the inside of eachcarrier,

but to pass the yarn over the outside of the carrier, the switches 16 are arranged to defleet its course radially outward around the The carrier 8 is substannose of the carrier. tially lenticu'lar in form, and its extremities travel-ina path coinciding with the meanr'adial position e e of the yarn.

The action of the-traveling yarn can, perhaps, be best described in the followiiw terms The yarn has a normal path throng l the slits s, and if unobstrudted would travel this path. But it has also a series of paths or turnoutsthe outer edges 18 of the carriers. Access to these turnouts is controlled by the switches 16 which, when they close the entrances to the slits s, deflect the yarn to the said carrier edges 18, causing the yarn to travel outside the carrier, with respect to its This, then, is an essentie] and a novelty in our machine, that there are no mechanically operated devices to engage and carry the traveling yarn radially in and out to impart to it an undulatory course in its travel, neither is there any work of shifting deflectors or switches imposed upon the yarn. The undulatory course is imparted by mechanically operated switches which deflect the traveling yarn to one path or another; the cam 11 being provided to mechanically control the switches, and to vary their time and sequence of operation, differently "formed'cams may be substituted. I Having described the particulardevices which produce the braiding action, the machine as a whole will now be described.

Referring particularly to Fig. 1, F is the frame of the machine, fromthe middle of the bottom member 19,01 which rises the tubular post 2, shownpnly in Fig. 2, about which ro tate the carrier frames A and B in'the manner before described. At thebottom of the carrier frame B is a cup-shaped portion .20, preferably a separated, but constituent part of the'carrier frame. At the bottom of the cup-shaped portion is a bevel-gear Z1, keyed or otherwise secured to it, driven from the gear 22 on the main shaft 23 of the machine. At the opposite end of the main shaft '23, from the gear 22, are tight and loose pulleys 24 and 25, by which the machine is operated, and its ofperation controlled through the belt shipper ork 56 audits handle 5f7.' A bevei= gear 26, at the bottom of the sleeve 3 of the carrier frame B, cooperating with the shoulder 48 on the carrier frame A to limit the carrier frame B in its vertical movement.

The bottom supplies D, with their let-ofi' and other appertaining devices, are

. 1 constituent.

portion of the carrier frame B.

moungeid in a horizontal planeon the rim of thee p ribdve them run the carriers 8 on the rail 7 which-is preierablya ortion of the head 6 oi the carrier frame either integral or separably The rail 7 is, however, not continuous, but sectional, there being immediately above each of the supplies I) a radial slot, 28, Fig. 3,.which permits that radial movement of the traveling yarn 0' necessary to pass the carriers 8, in passage either inside the carrier through the slit 8, or outside along Y the edge 18, when the switch 16 closes the slit 8.

Within the slot 28 are guides or abut ments 2'? which hold the yarns 0 to the points oi the carrier 8, freely permitting a radiai .braidcd fabric.

wmovement ofsaid yarns under the wedging actliiil of the carrier, but reventing their deflection in the direction 0 the carriers 1novement. a

From the bottom supplies D, the yarns 0 pass by the carriers 8, upward to the ring 29 and then toward the center to the gatherer or condenser 30, where the braiding yarns convergeand are drawn together to form the As the yarn passes from the supply bobbin or co it goes through let-oil devices which centre the delivery of the arn and insure uniform tension. This let-o device isofla usual form, and therefore it will not beiurther described than to say that theeye or guide through which'it delivers the yarn is nearer the axis of revolution than the entrance to the slit 8, so that, as the yarns o revolve, their natural tendency is to travel into and through the siits 8.

.The upper sup n carriers 8 and, ie the bottom supplies D, have let-off devices of usual form.

From each carrier there rises vertiea'iiy a wire loop 31, extending. upward with straight lies C are mounted on the.

. Afterthe yarns pass I through the condenser 3G audit-om there to sides, but terminating in a curved top which clips or inclines downward toward the leading a: e.

' The tog of this loop travels adjacent the ring 29. hrough the to of the 100 31 is an eye 32 through which t e yarn p om the upper supplies C passes,-see Fig. 8. The top of the loopiprojects siigiitiy shove the ring 29 so that the yarn 3) does not engage or bear upon it. Therefore, when the yam o passes to the inside of the-thread p as in Fig.

3, it rides on the ring 29,

passing at that point, under the thread 1).

When, as in Fig. 9, the yarn 0 passes to the outside of the thread p, being thrown to the outside of the carrier by the switch 16, it rides up the inclined top of the loop 31 and passes over the thread p. Thereby are the two sets of threads 9 and p prevented from interfering or chafin ,and when knots occur,

those in one set of t reads cannot catch the.

threads of the other set and break or strain them. The function of the loop 31 then, is

to augment the function of the switch 16, and of the edge 18 of the carrier. These last named elements divert and pass the traveling thread o outward around a carrier and the supply which it carries. The loop 31 engages the diverted thread, and carries it outside of and maintains it clear from the thread p that comes from the carriers supply. 7

The ring 29 is mounted and actuated in the following manner: Secured to the to of the head 4 is a bevel-gear 58, centralize by the 0st 2 which extends through and above it. pposed to this is another bevel-gear 59, secured to a flanged sleeve 60 that is rotatable on the post 3, and held from end movement by the collars 61 and 62'. The up or collar 61 is held by the set screw 63; the wer col-1 lar 52- is held b a stud screw 64 which passes through the co lar and screws into the post 2. ()n this stud screw is mountedan intermediate gear 65 which'meshes with and rotatively connects the ears 58 and 59. From the flange 66 of the s eeve 60 rise and diverge the arms 67 on top of which is fastened the ring 29. Because of the arrangement of the gears 58, 59 and 65, the ring 29 must obviousiy rotate in a direction 0 posite to that of the carrier frame A, of whic 1 the head 4 is a part, and, therefore, in the same direction and with'the'same s eed as the carrier frame B and the yarn supp ies carried with it. Re-

tating thus, at the same speed and with the same direction as the lower supplies D,J the ring 29 serves, therefore, as a carrier, hel ing the yarns o in their revolution. this feature, the yarns 0 would drag and be frictionaily retarded as well as abraded. As the yarns p are guided above the ring 29, the Latter, in its rotation, does not rub them or in any my interfere with-them.

the ring 29, they go Wi t ioutthe take-up rolls 33 and 34. These are connected by the gears 35 and 36, and are driven from the main shaft 23, through the shafts 37 and 38 and the gears 39, 40, 39, 40 41 and 42. The take-u rolls are pressed together by tension of t e spring 49, and are also drawn together by action of the braid. As indicated in Fig. 10, the braid is carried first over the top roll 33, then down and through, between the two rolls, under the bottom roll 34, and up, so that any tension on the braid acts, as above indicated, to draw the rolls together. The screw serves to vary the spring pressure of the rolls.

Above the take-up device is a winding mechanism of suitable character, mounted on the stand 51 and driven by belt 52, from the pulley 53 on the shaft 38 through the pulley 54.

e have shown our improved devices so arranged that the switches 16 are all opened and all closed at the same time, so that one of the bottom supply threads 0 goes to the outside of one carrier and to the inside of the next one, for the cam has four low spots which cause closure of the switches 16 when said thread 0 is passing four of the eight carriers, and their opening when passing the other four. This causes the production of one form of braid. Another form of braid requires that each of the yarns 0 shall pass outside of two carriers and then inside of two. To accomplish this, only alternateswitches are open at one time, and the others are closed. Each driver has, then, a direction of movement opposite to that of its neighbor. This may be accomplished as in Fig. 11, by linking alternate drivers together, but it necessitates a crossing of the links which is undesirable when a simpler and. more direct means may be employed. Fig. 12 shows the preferred mode of accomplishing the same result, by providing each driver with a small segmental gear 55 which, meshing with that of its neighbor, secures the same alternate oscillation of the drivers as would the crossed link connection.

Automatic stopping devices of a usual form are employed for arresting the operation of the machine upon the breaking of any one of the threads delivered by either set of supplies, either C or D, but as theseform no part of the present invention, they will not be described.

Obviously, these essential features can be combined in other ways than those indicated, Without departing from the spirit and scope of our invention. It might be desirable to revolve the yarn supplies of only one set, and

therefore, in the foregoing, terms employed to indicate movement or direction are to be construed in their broadest sense that of relation and not of absolute movement.

Therefore, without limiting ourselves to comprising an oscillating driver having its center of oscillation within said carrier.

In a braiding machine, the combination with a revolving carrier and means for moving same, comprising a one-piece driver hav-.

ing its center of osci lation on the line drawn tangent to the path of revolution of the point of engagement of driver with carrier, and passing through said point of engagement.

3. In a braiding machine, the combination with revolving carriers, of drivers therefor, means to actuate one of the drivers, and means to couple a plurality of the drivers so that the actuation of the one affects all.

4. In a braiding machine, the combination with a rotating plate and su plies, of carriers to carry said supplies, pocl eted within the outer edge of the plate and drivers'to connect the plate and carriers.

5. In a braiding machine, the combination with a rotating plate and carriers mounted adjacent thereto, and arranged with slits between the late and carriers, of switches to close said sits and means to operate the switches.

6. In a braiding machine, the combination with a rotating plate-and carriers mounted adjacent to the plate and arran ed with slits 'hetween plate and carriers, 0 switches to close said slits'and means to operate aswitch and means to couple a plurality of switches so that action of the one switch causes action of all.

7. In a braiding machine, the combination with a rotating plate and carriers mounted adjacent said plate and arranged with slits between the carriers and the late, of drivers to connect the carriers with the plate, switches to open and close entrance to said slits, and means to operate both switches and drivers.

8. In a braidingmachine, the combination with a plate and carriers mounted adjacent thereto and arranged to leave slits between the carriages and the plate, the radially-outer edge of each carrier constituting one path of travel for a traveling yarn,- and the slit between'the plate and carrier constituting another path, ofswitches to determine which path the traveling thread shall traverse, and means to operate the switches.

9. In a braiding machine, the combination with a rotating plate and carriers mounted adjacent thereto, of means for traveling a thread either between the carriers and the plate or -outside of the carriers, drivers mounted in the plate, each adapted to engage, first by one of its ends and then the other, a carrier, switches to control access to the slits between the plate and carriers,

lls

and means to engage the drivers with the carriers, first by one end and then by the other, and in. this shifting of the drivers to shift the said switches.

10. In a braiding machine, the combina,

tion. with a rotating late having a plurality oi circular grooves w ose centers are outside the edge'of the plate, circular drivers in said grooves, and carriers moving with the plate, engaged by said drivers, a cam to o erate the drivers, and means to couple a p urality of drivers so that the action of theeafn on an affects all of the lnrality.

11. In a brai in machine, the combination with two mem ers rotating in opposite directions and two sets of revel 'yarn member, one set of thread supplies mounted to travel on said rail, another set of.yarn supplies fixedly mounted on said member to rotate with it, the other member formed with. circular ways, oscillating (hi ters in said ways,

and means to oscillate the drivprs, carriers engaged by said drivers, carrying the first named set of sup lies and mounted on the aforesaid rail, "an switches mounted on the drivers to move with them and control entrance to the slits between the carriers and the member that revolves them. 7

13. In a braid' machine, the combination with a recesse plate, arail ad'acent the pl ate, carriers slidably mounted on t e rail and means to connect the carriers with said late;

14. In a braid' machine, thecom ination with arecesse plate,' a rail adjacent the plate, carriers slidably mounted on the rail and extending within the recesses cf the plate and means to connect the carriers with the plate;

16. In a braiding machine, the combination with a plate having'a recessed edge and carriers within said recesses, of means to constantly connect the carriers with the plate, and means cooperating withlsaid connecting means to permit or prevent passage of the yarn between carriers and plate.

i 16. In a braiding machine, the combination'with a carrier frame A'having asleeve portion 3, a head 4 and a shoulder 48 and a sleeve 45 mounted on the sleeve portion 3 and having a flange 47, etc second carrier frame B, mounted rotatively on the. sleeve 3 between the shoulder 48 and the flange 47,

having a rail 7 and can'iers slidable thereon,

' and set of supplies, and means to and arranged. with slits s between the carriers and head portion 4, driving means to connect the carrier driving means with the plate 4 switches to control access to the slits s an I means to operate the switches with the carrier d rivin means.

a I I '17. he combination with a set of revolving yarn's'upplies and, a ring above rotating therewith, to receive the yarn from said supplies, of a second set of arnsnpplies revolvingin a dir ection opposite to thatof the first and loops to receive the yarns from the secass the yarns from the two sets of supplies y each other with an interlacing action.

18. The combination wi h a set of revolvmg yarn supplies and a ring above rotating therewith to receive the yarns from said sup plies, of a second set of yarn supplies revolvmg in a direction opposite to that ofthe first set, loops revolving with the second set, having eyes to receive theyarns from the second set, and means to pass the yarns from the two sets of supplies by eachkother' with an interlacing action. a V

19. The combination with a set of revolving' 'varn' supplies and loops revolving theresupplies, a ring rotating coaxially :witlibut in a direction opposite to-that of the sai supplies, and a second set of supplies rotating'with the ring, means to drive the am supplies, and means to pass the yarns mm the second set of supplies to either side of the isiugpiies of the first set for the purpose speci- 20. In a braiding machine, the combination with two sets of yarn supplies, carriers to ca one .set of supplies and means to drive t e carriers, of means to guide the yarns of the-second set of supplies to either side of the supplies of the first set, abutments to control the yarns, and means to pass the yarns of one set of supplies by the yarns of the other set of supplies without interference.

21. In a braiding machine, the combination with a frame and its vertical post 2, of a rotating carrier frame A, having a head portion ,4 and a sleeve portion 3 mounted on the post, a flanged sleeve 45 mounted on the sic ever ortion 3, a second carrier frame B vertica 1y supported on the flange of thesleeve 45 and rotatable on the sleeve portion 3 and having a rail 7, carriers mounted on with having eyes to receive the yarn from the 23. The combination with a setof revolv- In testimony whereof we have signed our mg yarn supplies and a. mug above rotatmg names to this speelfieation 1n the presence of to with them to recelve the yarn from said suptwo subscnbing Witnesses.

plies, of a second set of yarn supplies revolv- EDWARD F. PARKS.

mg inn direction opposlte to thet'of the first SIMON V. W ARDWELLV ancl means to travel the yarns from the first Witnesses:

set of supplies in and out among the supplies UHAs. A. EDDY,

of the second set. HENRY J. GOBEILLE. 

